Anita Peasant Blouse in Blossom Printed Linen By Bri

                  With 1.75 metres of de Linum’s sheer blossom printed 100% french flax linen in hand and Style Arc’s Anita Peasant Blouse pattern, I began my newest sewing project. My goal was to create a considered, intentional garment - a trans-seasonal piece that could be worn for work and pleasure, and I am so pleased with how the final product hit the mark.

Upon receiving my fabric I immediately notice the smooth hand feel of the fibre, complemented by the almost gauze texture. The delicate blossom print was the perfect romantic compliment to my existing wardrobe of earthy neutrals.

After pre-washing, drying and ironing flat I began laying out my pattern pieces and cutting. The Anita Peasant Blouse is a very simple sew - I love the neckline gathered with a drawstring and the wrist length sleeves. I quickly sewed the blouse in just a couple of hours, with a hot coffee of course. The entire process was very straightforward and I was pleased with how the linen handled my sewing machine. Initially I wondered if it might be difficult to work with due to the open weave and sheerness of the fabric, however it was not a problem at all and I even managed to successfully seam-rip some stitching after realising I wanted the elastic in the cuffs a little bit tighter. 

I followed the instructions to a tee, until sewing the drawstring, I didn’t want to use my loop turner to create the drawstring as I did have concerns about the fabric potentially being too delicate to be pulled through the casing (the texture of the fabric actually makes it quite grippy against itself). So instead I sewed the drawstring by folding it together as if I were creating bias binding, and the top stitching. 

All in all, this fabric was a dream to sew and would be perfect for a beginner - it washes easily, has a beautiful print and texture, presses crisply and is simple to stitch through.

I had planned to style this blouse with a simple pair of jeans but decided it was so versatile, it could be worn under dungarees and also paired with trousers and a cool leather motorcycle jacket to balance out the romance with a bit of edge. A versatile make that will no doubt get a lot of wear in my small wardrobe!.

Anita Peasant Blouse can be made in our other light weight linen as well.